Center for Biological Diversity v. County of San Diego

On March 25, 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-otay-ranch-village-13-project-settlement-will-reduce">announced</a> a settlement that resolved the Attorney General’s and environmental organizations’ challenges to San Diego County’s approvals for the Otay Ranch Village 13 project. The settlement terms included enhanced mitigation for the project’s impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, wildfire risk and evacuation impacts, and biological resources impacts. The project will have a reduced footprint that will result in 292 acres of additional open space and an option for the developer to apply for development of 812 additional dwelling units within the reduced footprint. The additional greenhouse gas mitigation measures included full electrification of all buildings; installation of battery energy storage systems, solar photovoltaic systems, and electric vehicle charging outlets and stations; a prohibition on the use of gas-powered landscape maintenance equipment; and energy efficiency specifications. In addition, the settlement provided that the developer would fund a $15 million mitigation fund for projects to provide additional mitigation of greenhouse gases. The settlement also provided for the developer to fund enhancements to wildfire surveillance and to implement fire suppression and wildfire evacuation measures, as well as fire avoidance provisions in homeowner’s association documents and access to an online educational program about wildfire ignition prevention.